Winter Sunset on the Dyke

Yesterday was just such a gorgeous winter's day, I loaded up Bear in the car and went for a "creative" stroll along the Steveston Dyke. Here's a few snapshots of my world as the sun was setting....


Lost and washed in by the tides.

Looking West towards the North Shore mountains. Hard to believe some of the Olympic events will be on those hills in a few weeks.

A couple enjoying the day's last rays for an evening two-wheeled cruise.

Painting Without Brushes

Painting isn't drawing and drawing isn't painting. I've spent so long perfecting my drawing style that it is almost all I can do. Give me a paint brush and I try to draw with it. If I'm ever going to get anywhere with painting I'm going to have to learn how to put down the pencil.
   One of the exercises my last art teacher had me do was to paint without using a brush. I could use anything, but a brush. So, I decided to continue my lesson, added with a touch of inspiration from a friend of mine who paints purely for the process of it, not the end result.
   I went to the art store and bought a collection of various sized and shaped palette knives, and then I hit the canvas. I used a reference photo purely for the colours and made no attempt whatsoever at realism. Just merely enjoyed the process of applying paint and colour using different palette knives.
   This is just a small canvas to start my experimenting with, 9" x 12". I had so much fun just playing with the paints and colours and textures that now I want to go HUGE! :-)

Below are a couple close up shots of the detail and texture.

Ending the year...

Storm Birds
12" x 24"

Untitled
10" x 10"

For both of these paintings I used Kroma acrylic paints. They are a local company on Granville Island making their paints on site.
Now that my paintings are done I need to get caught up with my drawings. I have one commission currently in progress and three drawings for a major international exhibit. Fingers crossed I get them done in time AND accepted into the show. :-)

5th Annual Anonymous Art Show

Above are my three latest paintings that I have submitted to the Anonymous Art Show at the North Vancouver Community Arts Council & CityScape Community Art Space. This show runs from November 26 at 7:00pm and continues through Saturday, December 19. The Anonymous Art Show a group exhibition and fundraising event that includes both emerging and established two-dimensional artists working strictly on unframed 8” x 8” x 1 ½” back stapled canvases.

The paintings are sold anonymously (but the artists do sign the back of their paintings) and each painting is priced at $100 each. Fifty percent goes back to the artist while the balance goes to the Arts Council for the many valuable community programmes, projects and events they host.

This exhibition is a great opportunity to purchase original art in time for Christmas - and you can choose from up to 600 pieces! But make sure to get there early opening night as they are known for long lines and rapid sales!

Portrait & Self-Portrait Art Show on Now

Guests Gallery's 1st Annual International Portrait & Self-Portrait Art Show is on now through November 30, 2009.

This art show is an online contest where you are the judge! I have entered three of my pointillism/stippling drawings into the contest: Nicolas Cage, Bella and my Self Portrait. Visit the online exhibit and cast your votes - you can vote for your two favourite artists. Portrait & Self-Portrait Art Show.

Water Studies - Homework

Last week's art class homework - water studies: Three different bodies of water painted three different ways. The top painting was done with a brush and palette knife, the middle painting was brush only, and my teacher said I could use anything BUT a paintbrush for my third, so I used my fingers and a palette knife. This is on 16" x 20" loose canvas. Couldn't seem to knock out the camera flash glare on the bottom painting ...

Homework - Still Life

More homework from Emily Carr. This is basically the same as last week's homework (spheres), but our teacher, Lori Goldberg asked me to set up my own still life at home and bring it next class for marks. I thoroughly enjoyed this project, and I'm starting to feel a wee bit more comfortable painting - and that's what I was after all along.
This is on 16" x 20" canvas pad using locally made Kroma Artist Acrylic paints.

And on a different note...

"Untitled" 12" x 24"

This week's acrylic painting class homework. We started by ripping pages out of surf magazines to create a landscape collage. The goal was not to define objects, etc, but to see the colour in "blocks". Painting was not about realism, but about laying down said blocks of colour to create a sense of depth.

Ride 'Em Cowboy!

This drawing was included in the Interlakes Rodeo program! The Breakaway drawing below, as well as the Team Roping drawing and a steer wrestler ACEO were also included.

This drawing is 8" x 10" on Strathmore 100lb Bristol Smooth support using a 2H, 2B and 4B graphite pencil and a tortillon for a little flying dirt blending. Took about four hours to complete.

Breakaway!

Found myself on a bit of a mini-roll today with the Western art. This is a drawing I've had in my "to draw" folder for a long time. Kinda blew it with her shirt, but overall I'm happy with it.

Details:
Finished size 5" x 7" on 100lb Strathmore Bristol Smooth
4B graphite pencil, with tortillon blending tool

Team Roping

Finally had some time to get caught up on a commission. This drawing is of a husband and wife roping team that I know in the Cariboo for their 25th wedding anniversary. Its also my first Western theme drawing. Phew! All that tack took a LONG time!

The details:
8" x 10" graphite pencil drawing on 100lb Strathmore Bristol Smooth, using a 4B pencil and tortillon to smooth out the flying dirt, and took about six hours to complete.

Horsing Around

More homework from my Composition and Form art class. These two are from a collection of 15 drawings done on different surfaces using different tools and techniques, all of the same object in as many angles as possible. We then had to set up all our work salon style, which was part of the critique.

For these two, I found a Spanish language newspaper, tore the pages out, covered them with Sanguine conte pencils that I blended out with paper towel, and then drew the horses with black charcoal. The finished effect wasn't really intended, I was just letting the creative juices run free, but I really like the "vintage" feel. I think I'll be doing more works like this.